organismic
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective 1. Relating to an entire organism: Pertaining to or characteristic of a complete, living entity, considering it as a unified whole rather than as a collection of separate parts. 2. Holistic in nature: Describing a perspective or theory that treats a complex system as an integrated, functioning whole, analogous to a biological organism.
Usage
The adjective organismic is used to describe properties, processes, or theories that pertain to an entire, integrated organism or system. It emphasizes a holistic viewpoint. - It is often used in scientific, philosophical, and sociological contexts. - It typically modifies nouns like theory, approach, level, concept, or properties.
Examples
- The organismic response to stress involves coordinated systems like the nervous and endocrine systems.
- She studies biology from an organismic perspective, focusing on whole-animal physiology.
- The philosopher argued for an organismic view of society, where institutions function like interdependent organs.
Advanced Usage
- Organismic biology: A branch of biology that studies complete organisms and their interactions with the environment.
- Organismic psychology: A psychological approach, such as in the work of Kurt Goldstein, that views the individual as an integrated whole striving for self-actualization.
- Organismic theory in sociology: The application of the organismic concept to social structures, viewing society as a living entity with interdependent parts.
Variants and Related Words
- Organism (n): An individual living entity, such as a plant, animal, or bacterium.
- Organismal (adj): A variant form with the same meaning as ; often used interchangeably in scientific literature (e.g., organismal biology).
- Holistic (adj): Emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts, similar in concept to .
Synonyms
- Holistic
- Integrative
- Whole-organism (when used attributively)
Antonyms
- Reductionist
- Atomistic
- Mechanistic
Related Phrases and Concepts
- Organismic theory of the state: A political theory, as referenced, which compares the structure and function of a state to that of a biological organism, with different institutions serving as "organs" essential for the health of the whole.
- Organismic variable: In research, a variable that pertains to the state or characteristic of the entire subject (e.g., age, sex, species) as opposed to a specific, manipulated factor.
Adjective
- of or relating to or belonging to an organism (considered as a whole)
- the organismic theory of the state